When Jesus Goes to Church
When Jesus steps through the doors of church on a Sunday morning, you know that something is different. There is a sense of unfathomable unpredictability in the air that is confounding and astonishing. As much as we like to have our nice, neat plans, our formulated orders of service, when Jesus goes to church, all bets are off.
Does this mean chaos? Oh, no! You see, when Jesus goes to church the things that should not make sense start to. The Word spoken melds with The Word sung and prayed in a glorious three-part harmony.
When Jesus goes to church gossip is hushed, factions are disband, and love prevails. The doorman knows that when Jesus comes to church, there are some people who might not be able to handle it and may leave because, without a word, they are confronted by their desperate need for forgiveness and that the banner of peace needs to be raised, more than the murderous whispers of "Did you hear what Pastor did?" or "Can you believe that they let HER sing this morning?"
Musicians know it when Jesus is there because they find that their fingers move across nickel-wound strings with suave familiarity or down ivory and onyx keys as if strolling down the lane to a unknown, yet familiar, beautiful place. Voices cry out with passion when Jesus is in church because they know that beyond "just a pretty sound," the thing that sounds better to Him is honest worship: worship in spirit and in truth.
Preachers have one of two responses when Jesus goes to church: they are either offended at the prospect of their words not being heard or they are overjoyed that The Word, Himself, is there and the preacher takes his seat to allow Jesus to speak. The former preacher will sweat through his pride and allow his own personal agenda shine through. The latter will preach with empowerment, with no fear, with holy boldness, speaking life-changing truth, because when Jesus goes to church, the words spoken by this preacher will stir the hardened hearts of the self-made righteous man reminding him that the grace of the church's honored guest is the key to righteousness, not their stuffy religiosity.
In a prayer time when Jesus goes to church, there are no well-crafted prayers, imbued with "thees" and "thous," but honest dependance on the One whom they are directed to. In this moment, prayer becomes not a ritual of religious action, but communication with a dear friend who knows what it's like to walk through this life. When Jesus goes to church, the suits and ties leave no impressions, but the simple prayers of childlike faith shake to very foundations of hell.
When Jesus steps through the doors of church, the sign out front does not read any quick-witted, cutesy Christianese, but says: "With honor and without judgment, we welcome sinners. Welcome homosexuals. Welcome crack-whores. Welcome welcome drunks. Welcome dirty money millionaires. Welcome poor, abused, broken, and damaged. From today onward, you can leave behind your stigmas be called sons and daughters of the King. Come to Me and go, sin no more."
It's undeniable when Jesus goes to church because no one else could walk into a room and do what He does. In His midst, the emotionally crippled learn to feel again, the spiritually blind have their eyes opened and can see His majesty, and the deaf... oh, the deaf can hear the faint whisper of Love Incarnate breathing their name, beckoning to hear His words. When Jesus goes to church, He, on occasion, will do that for the physically lame, blind, and deaf too.
When Jesus goes to church, people know it. Why? Because you never quite leave the same after encountering a guy like Him. Whether you see Him or not, you know He was there. How can you tell? Burly, emotionless, mens-men will be broken in tears with arms raised in worship. Righteous, seasoned Christians will be calling out for forgiveness because God has searched them and knows their innermost being and it just doesn't match what's on the outside - in His presence, they feel the ruin of being found out. Knees bow and mouths confess when Jesus goes to church...
Wouldn't it be great if Jesus came to church every Sunday?
